Renewable Energy and EU 2020 Target for Energy Efficiency in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Abstract

Our paper focuses on the renewable energy and EU 2020 target for energy efficiency in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. We study the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in these two EU Member States through the prism of the Europe 2020 strategy and the 3 × 20 climate and energy package and economic growth (represented by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that allows to measure the national dynamics and provide cross-country comparisons) without attributing specific attention to issues such as the electrification of transport or heating, and thence leaving them outside the scope of this paper. Both Czech Republic and Slovakia are two post-Communist countries that still face the consequences of economic transformation and struggle with the optimal management of natural resources. Both countries encountered profound system transformation after 1989 that are apparent in all three measures of sustainable development used in our study. We show that it is unlikely that the planned increase in renewable energy in the Czech Republic and Slovakia will reach its targets, but they might succeed in reducing their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Our findings show that the energy intensity of Czech and Slovak economies increased in the early 2000s and then stabilized at a level about twice of the EU average. It appears that this value is likely to remain the same in the forthcoming years. However, implementation of GHG emissions in the Czech Republic and Slovakia may be at risk in case the proper energy policy is not maintained. Moreover, our results show how the increase in the share of renewable energy and improvement in energy efficiency go hand-in-hand with mining and exploiting the energy sources that is notorious for the transition economies. We also demonstrate that a proper energy policy is required for effectively reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. There is a need for commitments made by relevant stakeholders and policymakers targeted at achieving sustainable economic growth and energy efficiency. In addition, we demonstrate that there is a need for maintaining a proper balance between economic development and environmental protection, which is a must for the EU sustainable energy development agenda and all its accompanying targets for all its Member States.

Assessing the Level of Renewable Energy Development in the European Union Member States. A 10-Year Perspective

“…Slovakia dropped from the 18th place in 2008 to the 24th place in 2018 in the overall ranking of the EU countries (Table 10), and Poland-from the 21st place to the 26th place. Both countries may have problems in achieving the 2020 target of 15% [80,81]. In 2018, this share was only slightly over 11% (it was slightly higher in Slovakia).…”

Copper molybdate synthesized by sonochemistry route at room temperature as an efficient solid catalyst for esterification of oleic acid

“…In recent years, government policies related to the use of fossil fuels and their derivatives have intensified due to the ecological impacts caused by the residues resulting from their extraction, processing, and consumption [1] . In this context, investments in several other energy matrices of a renewable nature and products with biodegradable characteristics have driven research aimed at technologies that meet these objectives [2] . Therefore, hydrogen cells [3] , biofuels [4] , and solar cells [5] are considered promising in energy generation with minor ecological impacts compared to fossil fuels.…”

Spatio-Temporal Modelling of the Change of Residential-Induced PM10 Pollution through Substitution of Coal with Natural Gas in Domestic Heating

“…Poland, for instance, set goals, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the share of renewables, and improving energy efficiency, not only to protect the environment but also to strengthen the economy [21]. It appears to be possible for the Czech Republic and Slovakia to reduce pollutant emissions and energy consumption with proper energy policies, although increasing the share of renewable energies to the planned levels seems unlikely to be achieved, like the other member States that have joined the EU after 2004 [22].…”